PLATE CCXIII. 



The extraordinary rarity of the Red God wit may entirely juftify 

 the introduction of both fexes of this very elegant and curious fpecies 

 m the prefent work. 



It is recorded among, the Britilh fpecies of the Snipe tribe, upon 

 the authority of only a few inftances in which it has been known to 

 villi England. One mot many years fince, near Hull, is men- 

 tioned by Pennant; in the collection of birds, formed more than 

 thirty years ago by Mr. Tunftall, was a fpecimen {hot in Dorfet- 

 iliire ; in the Mufeum of the great rival of Mr. Tunftall, Sir Afhton 

 Lever, one or two varieties again occurred ; and fince the difTolu- 

 tion of that Mufeum we have not feen it in any other collection. 



The pair we have delineated were from the celebrated cabinet 

 of the late Mr. Green, of Weftminfter, whofe collection was fo 

 rich as to contain Britifh fpecimens of both fexes preferved by him- 

 felf, and which are now in our Mufeum. 



Mr. Green differed both thefe birds, and was enabled to de- 

 termine the fex of each. According to his obfervations, the bird 

 he afcertained to be the female has the back and wing feathers 

 uniformly cinereous ; while in the male bird many of thofe feathers 

 are marked at the edges with rufous, fome pretty deeply in, and the 

 diik of the feathers darker. This indeed feems to be the chief dif- 

 tinction in the general appearance of the two fexes. 



The length of this fpecies is ftaied to be about eighteen inches, 

 our fpecimens do not exceed feventeen inches. In fome birds the 

 abdomen is faid to be red like the neck and breaft ; in both our fpe- 

 cimens the lower part of the belly is white. 



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